Tag Archives: workout

This is an optimistic blog, and I want it to stay that way, but man, I am having one of those days. Insert winey-voice here. I must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning because my mood was sub-par all day. Work was blah and I didn’t have the energy to get myself to the gym come 6:00. I have always been the type that uses a good long gym session to make everything right in the world – there’s nothing like it to focus on what’s all jumbled up in your head and try to make sense of it. But it took a village to get me to the gym tonight. And to top it off, all the treadmills were taken (shocker – it’s still January) so I once again settled on the bike. I watched “King of Queens” to get me through the interval workout again, and just felt tired the whole time. Just goes to show how much my dad was right when he said “Attitude is everything”. Tomorrow, I will go to work a happier gal (albeit a colder gal ’cause Boston is expecting some snow tomorrow) and make the best out of any less-than-ideal situation that comes my way!

On my walk home from the gym, I started listening to Beyonce. She can really get me pumped up and out of any kind of terrible mood! I was walking to Whole Foods listening to “Countdown” and literally feeling like this with my sweaty hair, sneakers, and sweatpants under my big puffy jacket:

If I was braver, I would have belted out the words in the middle of the street! It was like I was her backup dancer in Single Ladies, Bootylicious, and Run the World all in one! Channeling my frustration into SMIZEing (thanks for the lessons Tyra) and stomping like a Diva is really quite effective! From there on, my night was looking up.

At Whole Foods, I got some ingredients to make this delicious dish I adapted from a recipe I found in Better Homes and Gardens. I just stir fried chicken sausage, onion, mushrooms, and spinach in a bit of olive oil while the pasta boiled, and voila! This was sooooo yummy!

Yum.

Tomorrow, I’m having dinner with some very dear friends, and one new sister! (well sister-in-law-once-removed kinda). Anyways, I have salad duty, so my plan is to make a goat cheese, cranberry, and candied walnut salad. I couldn’t find any candied walnuts at Whole Food tonight, so I decided to make them myself. I found a really easy recipe using just 1/2 cup white sugar and 2 cups pecan halves. Combine them both in a pan on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar melts onto the nuts.

They turned out great! Can’t wait to show off my skills at dinner tomorrow 🙂

Hope you’re looking at the good points in today, even though they may be small. A positive outlook can change the way your whole day goes. Find your Beyonce and get yourself happy!

There should be a separate gym for people getting a membership on January 1. I get it, and I’m very happy that people make it a resolution to lose weight or get healthy in the new year, but it really crowds the gym for those of us that are there all year and I’m not big on waiting for machines. This messes up my work out plan, and I end up settling on something different than what I was looking forward to. Like today: I planned on a run but the treadmills were packed, so I decided on the bike. A little disheartened, I strapped in, lowered the seat to level “way shorter than average”, and switched the TV to “How I Met Your Mother” to keep me occupied during the next 30 minutes. Then I remembered a hardcore interval workout a friend at work had mentioned to me a while ago.

Warm up for 5 minutes

8 seconds of giving it your all

12 seconds of resting pace

8 seconds at 100%

12 seconds recovering…

And so on….for 20 minutes. I did 7 minutes, and my thighs and butt were on fire! It’s such a good workout, and since the intervals are so short, the time goes by quickly. But it’s hard, my friend. HARD.

I finished up my workout Wednesday with an upper body workout I found on Pinterest. Oh Pinterest, how can you use up so much of my time with craft ideas I’ll never get to, wedding tips I’ll forget about, and 1001 ways to use a mason jar? Sometimes I actually go back to my pins and find workouts like this one. I want to “Tone it up girl!”

A short bus ride later, I was back at home craving something healthy for dinner. I had some leftover tofu that I wanted to use, so I whipped up a simple marinade I found on Never Homemade and let the tofu chill in it while I showered. I steamed some broccoli, covered it in cheese, and after a little stir fry action with the tofu, had a meal!

Marinade prep

A little light reading during dinner 🙂

So easy, and so healthy! Feels good.

Now, after watching the classic Bring It On with Rosie, I’m just about cheered out and can’t wait to get to bed. Everyone seems to be getting sick, and I have a big weekend planned, so I’m drinking lots of water and sleeping as much as possible to keep the bug away. Stay healthy this winter!

As I sit here watching Project Runway wishing I could pull off a a peplum skirt, I’m thinking about how long it’s been since I’ve posted. Almost 2 weeks have gone by, filled with many things to be happy about, and I haven’t told you guys about even one!!! Shame shame shame, Brita. I shouldn’t keep these happy things to myself – it’ll never happen again.

Let’s start with 2 weeks ago Sunday – I was on a crafty kick and wanted to get inspired. What is more inspiring than an sunny afternoon at a crafts fair in the city? Pretty much nothing. It’s called SoWa, kinda like SoHo but it’s South Washington Street in south Boston. Morgan, Katherine, and I ventured there with ideas in mind, and we were welcomed by lots of fun booths. But first, the garage we parked in inspired us to take some hipster pics.

Hipster stance? Katherine’s got one…and a tire!

We didn’t make out as well as we had hoped. Katherine was looking for furniture at a reasonable price, I was looking for awesome jewelry and scarves (it’s almost fall, as we all know), and Morgan, well Morgan being the chef that she is, was interested in the food trucks. And for good reason! We tried popcorn, honey, the BEST gingersnap cookie I’ve ever had, and locally made sandwiches for lunch.

This is where the cookie was made – and how fun is the name “Rollin’ in the Dough” for a bakery???

I’ll take them all, thanks.

Lots of local produce.

I didn’t get much of anything that stayed with me more than the few hours (if you know what I mean….) but I know I want to go back to the SoWa market before it closes at the end of October! If only just to get another one of those gingersnaps.

Most of my happy times recently have taken place outside. I want to take advantage of the beautiful weather before the winter substitutes shorts with long underwear. The weather has been pretty darn perfect too, so spending 8 hours a day inside at work has pushed me outside on the nights and weekends. Last week, I went for a longish run around the Charles River after work. Well, me and 3/4 of all of Boston – it seemed like everyone was out that night! And with good reason….

This city has my favorite skyline. Sorry NYC.

Can you get more Boston than this?? Rowing and everything!

I could run forever with a view like this.

Let’s hear it for the iPhone camera! I probably stopped about 15 times to take pictures, and maybe once because I took a wrong turn and ended up on busy road. But that aside, I found my way back after being rejuvenated with a healthy run and perfect evening views from the river.

I went south of the city to SoWa, into the heart of the city on my run, so naturally I had to go north of the city for a hike. Anna, one of my oldest friends who I know from Canada, just moved to my neck of the woods, so we got together for a jaunt in the woods. It’s strange to see her outside of camp, but I’m willing to get used to it 🙂 We took Blanche (my trusty Subaru) to the Blue Hills, about 30 minutes north of the city, to hike the Skyline Trail. Along with awesome conversation, we found some stellar views of the city from a far. Check these out!

The perfect day to be on top of a mountain.

Boston from the Blue Hills

Our trip was very impromptu and we didn’t plan it much, just followed the blue dashes on the trees until we got here which took about an hour. At the top, we asked a fellow hiker to take our picture for us and spent a good part of our time there sitting on a rock just chatting, not unlike how we spend our time in Canada. Because we didn’t know where the other side of the blue trail ended up, we decided to back track until we got back to the car. It was a good idea. I’m so glad Anna is here and that we now know a good spot to get out of the city and into the wilderness, even if only for the afternoon.

Found this along the way. John really knows how to use a knife in a tree…

There’s that kind outdoorsman now!

Old friends in new places 🙂

Forecast for this weekend is looking bright – I can already smell a barbecue on Saturday and potentially picking them apples on Sunday. The outdoors makes me feel productive and re-energized after a long week. With autumn palpable in the chilly air, a whole new array of activities will begin – can’t wait!!

This week has been fairly unexciting to say the least. The 4 day weeks always seem to feel longer than a 5 day week – why is that??? Cruel torture. I’m pretty much on a post-vaca lull and don’t want be at work. Spending the whole weekend outside in the sun was too much fun, and sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day just isn’t cutting it right now. Luckily, Boston’s weather cooperated with that sentiment and rained on and off all week. That, plus a yucky muggy atmosphere, I guess I don’t mind the air conditioning too much (looking on the positive side).

I’m looking at the little things to make me happy:

I found this little token in my backpack while searching for my GRE flashcards (still studying!) and it brought a smile to my face:

Must be from Canada

There’s a small town near the small camp we go to in Canada with even smaller souvenir stores. This gem must have come from there. For those of you who don’t wish you were Canadian, the image on the left is an inukshuk – a structure originally built by the Inuits to mark trails, fishing spots, or good hunting places back in the day. We build them in Canada because they’re pretty (the one in my banner is on our little slice of heaven up in the wild North). I like having this in my bag all the time – it seems like the perfect token to guide my bike rides to safety 🙂

And speaking of art………….I miss art classes. Even in college, with the thousands of classes that Penn State offers, I didn’t take any art courses – not because I didn’t want to, but because I had used up all my general education classes freshman year on landscape architecture and horticulture classes (so much for my landscape architecture dreams…). My mom is an art teacher for kindegardeners (I know, how cute?) so I grew up with art projects out the wazoo. Every once in a while, I gotta get my art fix. In fact, I’m feeling crafty right now. My scouring of Morgan’s beach last weekend provided me with enough little pieces of sea glass to make something awesome.

Yes, even the brown ones are pretty!

Any ideas? I’m thinking of a picture frame, or simply filling a cool vase with it. I already have a lamp filled with sea glass, thanks to my mother. We’ve been sea glass collectors for decades now, so it’s in my blood to pick up any piece on the beach. This weekend, Katherine and I are planning on going to the SoWa market in Boston to get inspired and buy some local crafts. I’ve never been, and can’t wait to see the stuff (jewelry, paintings, photos, pillows, knick-knacks…but mainly jewelry) people have made!

I also made a new discovery today at the gym. Tonight, I attended an all-staff orientation at the gym (high fives for more than one job!) where we went over all the boring stuff most of us already knew. But we also got to test out a brand new not-so-little machine – a water rower!

There is actually a tank full of water, so it’s like you’re actually rowing! And don’t worry about adjusting the tension like on those out of date “regular” rowers, the faster you row on these, the harder it gets. I saddled up thinking: whatevs, rowing is something I do at the gym to pass time, not my go-to machine for a hard workout. Two minutes on this water rower and I’m huffing like Michael Phelps after losing in the 400IM. I couldn’t believe how challenging it was – there was a two minute challenge to see who could row the farthest. After it started, I looked at the clock thinking “I’ve gotta be almost done…” and it had only been 40 seconds. I could feel it everywhere: back, legs, arms, pinky toes (?). But really, I’m going to have to try a fitness class using these! I love finding new ways to mix up my workout!

I’ve seriously been working for the weekends recently, and tomorrow is Friday, so that makes me a happy girl! Another bike ride to and from work on a gorgeous almost fall day? Check.

I watched a bit of my favorite yellow sponge this weekend and just had to share. He is so happy, playful, hilarrrrrious, and squeaks when he walks. I know my sisters don’t understand it, but this little guy gets me laughing each time! Exhibit A.

Anywho, onto the other cool stuff. Sunday and Monday were very productive days, and there’s nothing quite as satisfying as going to bed knowing you won for the day. I had a dentist appointment this morning; ugh, I can’t tell you how much I hate the dentist. I’ve had a billion cavities over the years, so needless to say, I went in today prepared to pay another $500 or whatever it is to get my teeth looking like new. I’m happy to report: NO CAVITIES!!! I also learned that the Crest SpinBrush Pro is a crock full of bologna. Apparently it’s not very effective because it only twists in one direction and not meant for those with the dexterity to maneuver a regular toothbrush. Goodbye, SpinBrush. Sorry Mom.

Another thing that made me happy today was biking to and from work! I finally set out some back-road routes so that I don’t have to take big roads, which makes getting the commute so much easier. Riding in traffic at 5:15pm is not ideal, but it isn’t as stressful as I thought it would be, especially because I work 2 miles from my apartment. Lucky me 🙂

This post is lacking pix – this is Boston leaving the Children’s Museum at night. That’s the Constellation something-or-other on the left, very famous.

After work, I decided to take advantage of the nice weather we have left up here in Bipolar Boston and go for a run outside. Boy, is it WAY more fun to run outside then inside! So many things to look at, surroundings to keep you on your toes (literally), and obstacles to make it interesting. I’m sure lots of people do this, but does anyone else look at their reflection in store windows as they run past?? I try to only do it when no one is around and I make it real stealth; do you think anyone actually thinks I’m window shopping while getting my sweat on? I just gotta check my stride, people! I noticed how much I did it today, especially running in a city – many, many windows are passed.

Speaking of running in the city, I see some of the strangest things. Today, the highlight was an older, rounder man sitting on a park bench reading the paper. May not sound so strange, but he was wearing a blonde wig, about shoulder length, with bangs. It was a strange combination – mustache, sunglasses, khakis, and….a wig. I giggled and congratulated myself on a great day to run outside.

I was able to squeeze in a quick filling dinner tonight before work 2.0 kicked in around 8 (to which I rode my bike as well, just sayin’). I loooove chicken sausage – they’re so easy to pair with anything, add some much needed protein to my diet, and come in really delish flaves. Not to mention that they are about 150 calories. In my grocery bag they went. To incorporate them into my meal tonight, I fried up some spinach and feta chicken sausages, red pepper, and cauliflower with only a little bit of olive oil. The flavor of the sausages really mixed well with the veggies, and I didn’t need a sauce! I topped a hefty serving of arugula with the sausage/veg mix and finished the meal off with some dried mangoes. So much in this dinner that I love!

So fresh and so clean, clean – literally

Excited for tomorrow – The roomies and I are having our last meal together! I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since we moved in….so much has happened for all 3 of us. I’m so lucky to have had such AWESOME roommates, and we’ll definitely miss you here, Julia! We’re growing up so quick 🙂

Well my wish was granted – Boston definitely experienced some heavy summer storms tonight. Walking to the gym from work, I was getting sooo soaked that I just stood under the awning of a restaurant until the rain let up. At least the humidity is somewhat gone. Although my apartment is still over 80 degrees….That’s what I get for not buying an air conditioner.

1. I did end up making it to the gym through the monsoon and got a pretty decent workout in before dinner. It started with a run/walk on the treadmill. My knee has been acting up recently – I had patellofemoral syndrome and sometimes it acts up in my right knee – so I didn’t want to go too hard on it. I’m just thankful I can get any running in!

I’m trying this new thing at the gym: it’s called ab exercises. I’ve never really been a fan of these so I get really lazy when it comes to them at the gym (aka three sit ups and I’m kapoot). This is why my upper body strength is lacking. But HARK! This is why Pinterest was invented! Follow me 🙂 I found the best ab work out that gets my muscles sore each time.

It’s supposed to get me abs like these:

so wish me luck. He’s saying “ANYONE NEED A WASHBOARD? I’VE GOT ONE HERE!” Hopefully, if I keep these up every other day, I’ll be seeing results for my vaca in 2 weeks! Let’s get ready to rumble! THIS IS SPARTAAAA!

2. I’m really proud of my dinner. I got the idea from a recipe I saw on PBFingers, so I stopped at a local food market after the gym to pick up some ingredients:

rice
cauliflower
spinach
chicken sausage
soy sauce

Does this fork make the cauliflower look fat?

While the rice cooked, I sauteed the cauliflower with the sausage in a little olive oil. I used a roasted garlic chicken sausage – so yum. I added the spinach at the very end, just to get it wilted. I mixed it all together with the rice and a splash of soy sauce, and chowed down while watching America’s Next Top Model. There’s nothing like watching models while stuffing my face. Oh, and I had one of last night’s cupcakes for dessert. Tyra would be proud….

Model’s aside, this meal was delicious!! And sooo super easy 🙂 Would be good as leftovers for lunch the next day as well.

Whew, it is H-O-T here in Boston! Crank up that AC, girls, because it is steeeeamy outside! Apparently, the whole upper east coast is having a heat wave (I told you the weather here is bipolar). Let’s hope the weather stays this way because I’m going to the beach this weekend!!

1. Before this heat began, I needed to get my blood flowing after sitting in my cube all day at work, so I went to the gym on Tuesday night. I began with a run on the treadmill that I based off of a workout I found reading one of my favorite blogs Peanut Butter Fingers. We share a love of peanut butter, and also good workouts, but mainly peanut butter.
I have found that interval workouts on cardio machines really make the time go by faster. Running is very rewarding for me, but hours and miles on a treadmill seem to go by as slow as mooooooolasssssssssesssssss to me. The time goes by much quicker when I am changing the speed and incline regularly. It gives me something else to look at – other than the distance and calories burned. Sometimes, I find myself getting too caught up in music or my surroundings at the gym (babes at the weights…) to change the machine at the right times. That’s why my workouts are all inspired, but not identical, to others that I find.
I also found a really cool article today in the NYT blog called Well about the importance of interval workouts. A university in Canada (love anything Canadian 🙂 ) found that using HIIT (high intensity interval training) a couple times a week, participants saw the same improvements as the people moderately exercising for many hours week. Pretty cool huh? I’m thinking tomorrow will be a mix of HIIT and resting – especially because tonight I didn’t do any physical activity because it was so hot…

2. Tuesday and Wednesday were filled with some good foods. Tuesday, I made myself a stuffed green bell pepper – including rice, mushrooms, tomatos, carrots, and some tomato soup. I cooked the rice and sauteed the veggies in a pan. Then I mixed it all together with a bit of soup to give it some moisture. Baking it at 350 is the hardest part. It smells so good and I’m so hungry that I never leave it in long enough…but it’s still delish 🙂 I added an egg for some extra protein. Gotta get that protein in at every meal!!

I swear it was more appealing than it looks here….

3. Wednesday night was spent at my usual Wednesday spot – with M and D! They installed their ACs so it was pretty comfortable in their home. And we grilled tonight instead of cooking because it was just too hot to have the oven or stove on. D grilled the turkey burgers (mixed with BBQ sauce YUMMM) while M and I microwaved a sweet potato (potatoes gunna potate, ya know?) and made the most delicious tomato, mozz, arugala salad with balsamic vinegar and some crushed pepper. Such a fun summery dinner for the first day of summer 🙂

Delicious and nutritious

My favorite combination

4. I’m very brave when it comes to food. I like most things, except for bleu cheese, and I’m up for trying different kinds of food. M always has something new up her dietetic sleeve, so tonight she brought out PB2. Peanut butter without all the oils that hold 85% of the fat in PB. I could get behind that. The fact that it was powder kiiiinda freaked me out. All you do is mix it with water, stir and enjoy. Hmmmm skeptical, but OK. M and I made it tonight – the chocolate kind! I dipped Puffins cereal in to try – not my favorite. Not bad, but who can compete with JIF? I mean come on, choosey moms choose JIF. I’m glad I gave it a try though! Keep working on that PB flavor, PB2 – you’ll get it someday.

Looks like PB, but I kinda enjoy the fat in regular PB. Good effort.

5. The last thing I’m grateful for are iPhone fails. In my weather app, my list of cities are all the ones that I love and care to check the weather – Boston, my hometown in MD, Canada, my favorite place in Maine, and also University Park, PA where Penn State resides. Yes, the school is big enough to have it’s own zip code. More than a lot of people go there. Anywho, I’m checking the weather on my phone tonight right, when I come across the weather for Happy Valley. Take a gander:

Is it really snowing in 90 degree weather, iPhone?

Bundle up, Staters, it’s snowing in June? You don’t need Siri to tell you that this just ain’t right. I know Penn State had some strange weather, but this just never happens. Thanks for the giggles, though!

Well off to bed. Sleeping in big ole tee-shirts are my favorite in really hot weather!

Today was one of those days where I just couldn’t wait to get to the gym after work. It was Monday – already off to a bad start – and I wasn’t feeling up to my full potential. I know a lot of people like to work out in the mornings, but that doesn’t work out so well (pun intended) for me. I feel rushed, tired, lazy and all I can think about is getting into the shower and catching the train to work. I end up drinking a lot of coffee to stay awake and then I’m completely dead by the end of the work day. After a long day like today, I really appreciate being able to relieve some stress at the gym. That’s why it’s my number 1 today.

1. The gym. I have learned, especially since graduating college, that the gym can create a drastic change in my attitude. Moving to Boston has proved to be difficult to say the least, but I’m definitely making it work. Going to the gym regularly not only makes me feel better about myself, it gives me a fresh look at issues I’m having, problems I’m facing, etc. The rush of endorphins that is released through physical activity really gets my positive juices flowing. I feel like a different person when I leave the gym, one that can handle most any obstacle!! (Insert Rocky music here)
I love changing up my workouts too, and learning new techniques or exercises, especially for the upper body. Does anyone know any good chest, arm, or shoulder work outs??? Someday, I’ll look like I do in this windbreaker….

I’m on a rock!

2. The other good thing about Mondays is the Bachelorette. I’m such a sucker. I’ve fallen in love with this show. I just have to know what happens!! Thankfully, Emily made the right choice with Ryan – he seemed like such a scum bag. Anyone that you are questioning should not stay in the game, amirite?!?! Also, Travis is just the cutest thing I’ve ever seen! Move to Boston, Trav!!! What will happen next week, when Emily actually has to make a decision? You can’t have 6 men chasing you forever….

3. I booked my flights to and from Canada in August!! This place is like a home away from home – I have never missed a summer there ever. I’m already excited for it 🙂 More to come on Canada later.

4. The Cape this weekend!!!! Does anyone know any Cape-specific things I need to do? Can’t wait to see it and the family!

I think I may be allergic to Boston. This morning greeted me with a scratchy throat, stuffy nose, and a sexy raspy voice. After sneezing my brains out yesterday, I tried to get to bed before midnight to give my little body a rest. No such luck. So I’m writing to you while sniffling and breathing through my mouth – so attractive.

None the less, Tuesday and Wednesday were good days because….

1. I had a sophisticated dinner on a friend’s rooftop in Boston Tuesday night. I felt so Carrie Bradshaw meets Pig Pen from the Peanuts because I was stanky having just gone to the gym. We walked around Back Bay for a little (my dream residence – anyone want to buy lottery tickets tonight??) and found her apartment. So freakin’ cute. Everyone brought something to add to this impromtu dinner – brie cheese with baguette, guacamole and chips, bruscetta, salad, oh and I brought french onion Laughing Cow cheeses and potato chips. Only the classiest. We spent the evening on her rooftop sipping wine, telling stories (one included a particularly disturbing incident in a bathroom), and grubbing. I felt so cosmopolitan. What a fun night!!

2. The jubilant announcer on the T. Roomie J and I took the T (Boston’s metro system) into the city to meet the girls after work. Usually, the station announcers are anything but excited to be there. A typical announcement sounds like this: “Hahavad, doowas open on the left” if you can even understand it at all. But not this announcer. He was stoked, STOKED, to be alive that day. Literally singing the stop names. “MGH/Charlesss St stop dooooo doo la doo ba deeee” I looked around the train car and it brought a smile to everyone’s face, including mine. It’s so nice to see someone bring a little happiness into something mundane and ordinary like announcing the train stop. Thanks singing announcer man 🙂

3. A good interval workout on the treadmill. As I mentioned before, I got a gym trip in before dinner. Usually I go in with a plan as to what I want to do that day, but not this time. I got on the treadmill and made my own interval workout that proved to be a keeper. It looked like this:

Time (min)

Speed (MPH)

0-2

3.5

2-3

4

3-8

6.5

8-10

4

10-15

7

15-17

4

17-22

7.5

22-24

4

24-26

8

26-28

4

28-30

8

30-35 cool down

4. This cookie from the caf across the street. Yes, it’s as big as my whole hand.

Coookie

Yes, I’m eating at my cube. Whatever. I’m still cool.

5. And finally my happy thing from Wednesday: Dinner with M and D. M and I had plans to do some stair workouts, but the rain in Boston fell mainly…everywhere. So that failed. But we did get a wonderful homemade BBQ chicken pizza in! With some arugula of course. Gotta have those leafy greens!
M has got me hooked on Rizzoli and Isles – a show about two crime fighting babes in Boston. Pretty much the story of my life. This weeks episode was particularly scurrrrrry (I’m a wimp – the kind who, as a kid, used to run into the kitchen to “say hi to mom” during the scary parts of Disney movies. Snow White still scares me) and I was literally jumping out of my seat and cuddling with M’s legs. No worries, we watched something happy after it so I could be brave enough to enter my car. Anyone seen Bunheads? I’m still on the fence.